The mini ''Majesty of the Seas'' is a

model ship Ship models or model ships are scale models of ships. They can range in size from 1/6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large vessels capable of holding people. Ship modeling is a craft as old as shipbuilding itself, stretching back to ancient ...

constructed in

Morsbach Morsbach is a municipality in Oberbergischer Kreis, a district in North Rhine-Westphalia near the border of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. In 2015, Morsbach's population was 10,600. The central village, also named Morsbach, has a population of ...

, France, by François Zanella. The vessel is a 1/8th scale model of

Royal Caribbean International Royal Caribbean International (RCI), also formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a cruise line brand founded in 1968 in Norway and organised as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group since 1997. Based in Miami, Flori ...

's 1992

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as "s ...

, ''

Majesty of the Seas ''Majesty of the Seas'' (subsequently renamed ''Majesty'', then ''Majesty of the Oceans'') is a owned by Seajets and formerly owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. She was built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyards in Sain ...

'' (also built in France, by

Chantiers de l'Atlantique Chantiers de l'Atlantique is a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. It is one of the world's largest shipyards, constructing a wide range of commercial, naval, and passenger ships. It is located near Nantes, at the mouth of the Loire river and ...

). The mini ''Majesty'' is 33.5 metres in length, with a width of 4.75 metres and a

draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...

of 1.06 metres. The model has a displacement of 90 tons. In addition to being a scale replica model, the mini ''Majesty'' is a fully functional

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

boat. The vessel's draft is small enough to permit admittance to most European canals, although in some cases the height of the ship needs to, and can, be modified. It took François Zanella, a mine builder, 11 years to build the model, beginning in 1993. The model was built on land opposite his home in Morsbach, which he purchased specifically for the project. After construction was completed in June 2005, the model was transported to

Sarreguemines Sarreguemines (; German: ''Saargemünd'' , Lorraine Franconian: ''Saargemìnn'') is a commune in the Moselle department of the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France. It is the seat of an arrondissement and a canton. As of t ...

to be launched and christened. François Zanella's fame in France stemmed from the show ''

Thalassa Thalassa (; grc-gre, Θάλασσα, Thálassa, sea; Attic Greek: , ''Thálatta'') was the general word for 'sea' and for its divine female personification in Greek mythology. The word may have been of Pre-Greek origin. Mythology According t ...

'' on

France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info. It is made up of a network of regional television services providing ...

, which followed his activities during the construction period.''Un paquebot dans le jardin''
broadcast on May 19, 2006. He died in 2015.

Chronology

* 1993 First blueprint. * 1994 Construction starts. * June 23, 2005 – ship launch in

and christening by navigator

Maud Fontenoy Maud Fontenoy (born September 7, 1977) is a French sailor known for her rowings across the Atlantic (2003) and Pacific (2005) oceans. Most recently, she completed a sailing trip around the Antarctic alone, against prevailing winds. Departed from ...

External links

* ''Le Républicain Lorrain'' special edition dated June 21, 2005
The web site of Cindy, one of François Zanella's daughters

describing the three-day travel of the Majesty of the Seas from Morsbach construction site to ship launching.

Notes

Model boats Passenger ships of France 2005 works Royal Caribbean International {{ship-stub